1) Greed
2) Anger
3) Ignorance
These Three Poisons factor in with the Four Most Noble Truths (with its inclusive Eight Fold Path), the Five Deadly Evils, the Six Paramitas, and all other Teachings. These three ego-based blindednesses cause us not to be able to live in peace and harmony.
GREED means never being satisfied or sated. Greed also breeds greed. If a person has greed, that person also has anger and ignorance. Therefore, we must look back to the Teaching of Right Understanding being the opening of the flower of awareness.
ANGER has levels, just as greed does. Anger at its worst creates killing; at its least, passive-aggressive behavior. Even our own anger frightens us as well as others. It, like the other two poisons, can kill relationships. Right Understanding comes to the rescue and changes the way we reach to any situation if we have. COURAGE is the absolute, necessary ingredient for lasting change.
IGNORANCE has many forms. It can be blinding oneself to Truth. It can be ignoring Truth. It can be refusing to learn Truth. It can be a rigid holding on to an ignorant belief as if it were a gem worth countless millions. Whatever it is to each situation, it is an avoidance. This avoidance may be because of unwillingness, or a fear that we will suffer as we face reality, or that we will be empty if we give up a part of our personality (which is a wonderful emptiness wherein new awareness has room to develop), or that we may not be able to "keep" something. We cannot "keep" anything, not even youth or health.
Thus, GREED, ANGER, and IGNORANCE are killers of WISDOM and COMPASSION! |
